Leap-Year Babies Fight a Lonely, Quadrennial Fight for Recognition

Those born on Feb. 29 just want to be acknowledged by DMVs, retailers and others whose computers don’t recognize their birth date

Jim Carlton

What Dean Walsmith really wants for his birthday is to have a computer notice him.

Mr. Walsmith, who turns 52 and who celebrates his 13th leap-year birthday on Saturday, launched a Change.org petition two years ago to make all computer systems accept February 29 as an option for the end of February, instead of a common setup now of the 28th.